SASI will be conducting its 43rd annual Sportsmen's/Hunting/Fishing Day Expo, on Saturday, Sept 27th, at the DEC Co-op Property, in Ridge. For details please see the attached PDF and JPG flyers. We hope to see you there.

The Flanders' Men’s Club will be hosting their 2nd annual Weakfish, Bluefish Fluke Tournament and Striped Bass Calcutta, beginning Friday May 16 at 5 PM, through Sunday afternoon May 18 at 1 PM. This tournament is a continuation of the very popular Riverhead Sportsman Peconic Bay Tournament, which was an east end institution for over 30 years. Fishing is open to the waters of the East End.

Prizes include Cash Awards and Fishing Poles for adult categories and trophies for the kids, plus bragging rights for the year for what is widely thought to be the first tournament of the east end season. The tournament will kick off Thursday night May 15th with a Captain’s Meeting at the Flanders Mens Club at 7 PM. The fishing action concludes at 1 PM Sunday followed by a fairly famous Flanders Mens Club Chicken Bar-B-Que at 3 PM. There will be over 50 raffles prizes so it will be hard for anyone not to go away a winner.

Entry fees are $25 per adult and $10 for juniors which includes the Chicken BBQ Awards Dinner. BBQ only tickets only are $15 for any landlubbers who want to join in the festivities. There are prizes for first, second and third place for each the weakfish, bluefish and fluke categories with both and adult and junior (12 and under) division. The back by popular demand Striped Bass Calcutta is an additional $20 per participating angler and is winner take all for the largest fish.

Entry Forms are available at Warren’s Bait & Tackle, Aquebogue, Edwards Sports, Riverhead, White Water Outfitters, Hampton Bays, Haskell’s Bait & Tackle, East Quogue, and East End Bait & Tackle, Hampton Bays. The official weigh in station is at the Flanders Men’s Club, 1018 Flanders Road.

Late Monday night, the Senate and Assembly both passed the Budget and this morning Governor Cuomo signed it into law.

Thus, crossbows are now officially a legal hunting implement in New York!

I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his support for this as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly that were influential in getting the compromise into the final budget. Senators Pat Gallivan, Dave Valesky and Mark Grisanti and especially in the Assembly, Sean Ryan, Aileen Gunther and Donna Lupardo for their leadership in getting the other members of their chambers to come to the table making New York the 28th state that allows crossbows during at least part of the archery seasons.

The crossbow will now be turned over to the DEC to work on setting the regulations within the parameters set forth in the budget. The process will include a Public Comment period where all NY’ers will have the ability to voice their opinions on the use and seasons.

I would also like to thank everyone that took the time to make the contacts with their respective legislators and the leadership in the Assembly and Senate. Without your help and perseverance our grassroots effort would not have been achievable.

Another Thank You goes to all of the Organizations that partnered with our coalition including the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, The NYS Farm Bureau, New York Conservation Council, NYS Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the 4H NY Shooting Sports to name a few as well as many County Federations, Associations and local sporting clubs.

Today, crossbows have been awarded their proper place in the sporting community and everyone of us should be proud of what we have been able to achieve. As we have said from day one, “Together WE will Succeed”, and with hard work and determination we have.